George



G B. STEVENS.

V Sleigh Brake."

No. 79,785. Patented July 7,1 1868.

Fig.1.

U II g Inventor:

w' I was. I

1 GEORGE BQsTE'vE sI, or 'PLIUGI'KEM'IN, .NEWlJE RSEIY.

Letters Patent m.- 79,7.s5, dat etZ July 7, less;

IMPROVEMENT IN sttiss snirss,

Idtlgr' fitlgthlllt trismh it init'rsi 3mm ant mating part at 1112mm.

TO ALL WIHOM 1T MAIY CONCERN:

Be -it known thst. I, GEORGE B. S'rnvENs, of Pluckeiniginthe' county ofSomerset, andI State or New Jersey, have invented eertain 'new'onduseful Improvements in Sled-Brakes, of which the followingis a, full,-

cleer, and exact 'deseription, reference: beiughadto the' acconipanying'drawings, which make part of this speci-.

fication, and in' 'which-- I p I "Figure l represents a. plan or. topview ofa sled'hsvjing-my improvenientsattached.

Figure 2,'& side elevation of the same, and I I I p I -Figure 3 a,vertical section at the linea: :n' of fig- '1, showing one of'thehearings for the hrake red, nd the manner-of securing the bearing'tp thecross-piece orhrace of the sled; I I I It isthe'object of my inventionto produce a strong, simple, efi'ective, and cheap brake, easily appliedt or detached from sleds of'the usual construction; and to this end theimprovements herein. blaimed .eonsis tj'.-

1 First, in a nevel method of constructing and attaching the hearings inwhich'the brake turns,,as herei'n after set forth. v

Second, in a novel rnethod of-combining the hearings in which thebrak-rod'tur'ns with plates on'the" under side of the side-pieces of thesled, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, ILA represent two p'ieesof iron fittingover'the cross-brace B, one endof each piece being bent down behind thebrace, to which they are secured by screws from,above',,.or from therezir, and their other ends bent down and curved to form sockets, O, inwhich the rod Dturns. 'lo the underside of the side-piecesE E, and tothe upper front sides of the uprights F, are secured metal plates, G,against which the bar 1) hears when. the brake is in operation. Theseplates prevent the rod from leaving its, open bearings, andprotect' thewoodwork of the sled from injury. y

To oneend of the bar D is welded asgrape'r. or drag-bar, E. Ifpreferred, this scraper may he formed by bending the rod D, or it may bekeyed on to the rod. To the other end of the her D is'w'elded or keyed alever,

I, .thelowr end,'-I, of which forms a second scraper. A ropeforeordattached toahook or'ring at the end of I the lever serves-as a means ofoperating bothserapers' from behind the sledL v i A support, near thefrontof. the sled,-supportsthe lever in a1,horizontal positi'on whenthe-'brak'eis not in operation.. f v I r I 4 I On the will), insideof-each hearing, are secured bands, L, (or an enlargement oi' the'rod-stthese places; would answerthe same purposefywhich prevent, the rodfroni;slipping ,endvvise;

' .Th'e'rod D may have a s crew-thread eut upon it. extending a shortdistance on eaeh' side of the middle of the rod, end upon it nuts withor wit'nout washers between'them and the bearings, sees more readilytooecom- 'Toattaeh the' b'rake to a sled, the-rod'D is held near thecr'osssbifece; and-the bearings adjusted under the rod;' they are thenpushed do'wn'uponthe cross-piece, and screws from above, or through thebent rear ends oi' thepiecesA A,-h old-them firmly-in place. By-theremovalof the screws the brake can easily be detached from the sled. I II A pull on the rope operates the brake bringing the scrapers in-pontattwith the ground. as shown red in fig. 2.. When the operator slackens therope, the weight of the'lev'er-I i et nrns 1t to'a horizontal posi-'ti'on. "Theserapers are thus automatically lifted from the ground, zindthis is caused by thetlengthoftlie lever being greater thauthatof thescraper. The upper end'ofthe lever maybe made thicker and heavierthanthe scrapers, if preferred. An arm may also beottache'd'sbove thescraper H, it deerne'd necessary to ensure perfeet operation. I I I f IV I My brake can be attached 'to sleds: of various Widthsfand theilsngesor nine and washers on the rod will preventit from slipping lengthwise..7 I p I mums that lever-scrapers or brakes have heretofore been-used onsalads, and do not therefore broadly claim s'uchdevices; but. I I Iside-pieces, as described.

Having thus :fully described the construction and operation of my impzoved brake, what I claim therein as my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,ris

1. The cdmbination with the turning rod D of the open bearingsconstructed and applied. to the cross-brace B, as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The arrangement of the epen bearings, the flanged turning brake-rod,and the plates G beneaththe' In testimony whereof; I have hereuntosubscribed. my name; j

GEORGE B. STEVENS; [11. 5.]

Witnesses: Y

J OHN B. YVANDERBEOK,

D. H. WORTMAN.

